Wedding on Friday, footy on Sunday.
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April Townsend wouldn't have things any other way and ensuring the Wiradjuri Goannas stayed top of the Western Women's Rugby League ladder made the busy few days all the more special.
Townsend was among the try-scorers on Sunday as the Goannas ran out 42-16 winners over a spirited Lachlan District side in hot conditions at Apex Oval.
Part of a core group of Goannas who have been with the side for virtually its entire near decade long existence, Townsend said there was no way she was going to miss Sunday's match despite it falling so close to her wedding day.
"I said I would rather break my leg than miss a game of footy," she laughed.
"We'll go on our honeymoon tomorrow."
Townsend's husband, Forbes Magpies and Western Rams prop Tongia Fox, was also at Dubbo on Sunday running the water for the Goannas.
He was kept busy as the temperature felt far hot than mid-to-late 20s experienced.
Making the heat a little more bearable was the much-improved depth in quality at the Goannas this season, with players able to enjoy stints off the field and no momentum was lost on it.
The forward was particularly strong on Sunday. Lillyann Mason-Spice was a standout and scored a double while also producing a number of barnstorming runs while Maggie Townsend, Sam Sharpley and captain-coach Peta Powyer also impressed up front.
Townsend, playing at hooker, kept that pack rolling and thoroughly enjoyed the big metres her forwards made.
"There's some big hitters in our forward pack. It's good to watch," she said.
"I think I've got the easiest job in the team because they're so keen to run the ball and I don't have to tell them much."
Townsend darted over from dummyhalf to score her side's first try on Sunday inside the opening minute after Lachlan made an error off the kick-off.
It was 10-0 soon after following a Demi Wilson effort and while Lachlan slowly started to grow into the game it was the Goannas who again scored next, with Mason-Spice going on a barrelling run to cross after a Wilson break.
Lachlan had just 12 open-age players on Sunday and had a number of under 18s back-up but they managed to score the next try through Macy Morrison.
Their joy was short-lived though as Mason-Spice again proved far too strong from close range and her second helped make it 22-4 at the break.
Lachlan managed to score the first try after the break but it soon became all about the Goannas and Tiffany Stanley, Powyer, Kimberlee Gordon and Wilson all crossed before Georgie Coote grabbed a late consolation for the visitors.
Being from Forbes along with her sisters Amy and Maggie, Townsend said it was strange going up against Lachlan and so many people she knew and added the competition newcomers deserved plenty of credit.
"It was a bit weird. Some of the girls we've played with for seven years and some of the juniors we've had under our wings so it was hard to play against those girls," she said.
"It's always hard to play against people you've played alongside and they stuck it to us. I don't think the score reflected how tough it was in patches."
Sunday's result made it three wins from three to start the season for the Goannas and 100 points have been scored in those matches.
"It's been a while since we've had a (grand final) win but we've only missed one grand final in the history of this competition," Townsend added.
"I don't think we get enough credit for how good we've been every year but I think we're dangerous this year because we've got numbers.
"We've got five or six on the bench every game so this could be the year we go the whole way."
- WIRADJURI GOANNAS 42 (Lillyann Mason-Spice 2, Demi Wilson 2, April Townsend, Tiffany Stanley, Peta Powyer, Kimberlee Gordon tries; Stanley 4, Wilson goals) defeated LACHLAN DISTRICT 16 (Macy Morrison, Nickita Kirby, Georgia Coote tries; Nickolle Kirby 2 goals)
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